Multnomah County is testing a pilot program to help underwater homeowners locked into high-interest mortgages.

The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday said it has approved a one-county pilot program starting in April that would allow borrowers who owe more than their home is worth to refinance into lower-interest loans. The pilot is based on a proposal Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., first outlined last summer.

Under the plan, the state would buy the loan and refinance it into a new 30-year loan with a 5 percent interest rate. The borrowers will also have the option to refinance into a 15-year loan, lowering total borrowing costs and paying off the debt more quickly.

BY STUART WATSON

BY JON SHADEL

The technology industry is always in flux. And this rapid rate of change poses challenges to companies ranging from nimble startups aiming to make their mark to established organizations fighting to remain relevant. This is particularly true in the competitive digital display market, where an Oregon company has been at the forefront of nearly every major breakthrough in the last three decades.

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Robert S. Wiggins has joined Lane Powell as a Shareholder in the Corporate/M&A Practice Group. Wiggins is a well-known lawyer, entrepreneur, and investor with more than 30 years of experience leading and advising established and emerging companies in the Pacific Northwest. Wiggins will focus his practice on offering outside general counsel services, including general corporate and board representation, business transactions and capital events.